1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a holster for a weapon such as a handgun. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a generally rigid holster having a guard retention system for securing a handgun such that the handgun is retained or locked in the holster when the holster guard is in a closed position, but may be easily removed from the holster when the holster guard is in an open position.
2. Description of Related Art
Many handgun users, particularly military and law enforcement personnel, carry a handgun in a holster designed to protect the handgun and hold it securely. Holsters can be worn in a number of ways and in a variety of locations on a user's body, such as on the chest, under an arm, at the waist, on the thigh, or around an ankle.
Handgun users must be able to quickly and easily remove the handgun from its holster regardless of the type of holster used or the location of the holster. Additionally, users need to be assured that, when not in use, the handgun will remain safely in the holster. Of equal, or possibly greater importance, the user must be able to quickly secure or re-secure the weapon in the holster when it is not being employed.
Some holsters rely solely on a friction fit between the holster and the handgun to secure the handgun in place. These types of holsters are generally not suitable for situations where the gun/holster is subject to a great deal of movement because such movement could cause the handgun to lose frictional engagement with the holster and allow the handgun to become dislodged from the holster.
Certain other holsters include a variety of strap or flap arrangements that prevent removal of the firearm from the holster while the strap or flap is in place.
Generally, with designs that rely on strap or flap arrangements to retain a handgun, the user must first unfasten and/or rotate a strap or unfasten and open a flap before the firearm can be withdrawn. The user may have to move the strap or flap before the handgun can be re-holstered, typically causing the user to look down at the holster and take his or her eyes off of a possible threat. Then, once the handgun has been re-holstered, the user must physically reposition and refasten the strap or flap before the firearm is securely retained within the holster.